Lose weight while having fun with Aerial Arts

Nesh Zamora wasn’t always fit and toned in her early 20’s. At age 23, she was overweight and living a sedentary lifestyle. She tried various diet programs, going to the gym and other weight loss strategies in her attempt to be healthy. These all failed because she got bored easily, thus resulting to lack of commitment.

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In 2012, she discovered aerial arts and couldn’t stop raving about it since then. She lost 40lbs. and was able to maintain it over the years. During her trips abroad, she made it a priority to attend classes and workshops to learn from world class aerialists.

“Aerial silk was different and very new back then. I never thought I would end up losing weight because of it. I even remember joining classes just to have photos posted on my Facebook account. I got so hooked and distracted by all the fun that I didn’t realize I was actually working out until I saw actual and signficant results,” Zamora said.

Nesh Zamora is now an aerial arts instructor specializing in aerial hoop.

WHAT IS AERIAL ARTS?

“Aerial arts” or “aerial circus” are broad terms that cover a wide variety of disciplines. The word “aerial” refers to any apparatus often attached to the ceiling. Over the past years, aerial arts have been accepted and embraced by fitness enthisusiasts all over Metro Manila. The most commonly taught disciplines taught are aerial silk (two long strips of fabric rigged from the ceiling) and aerial hoop/lyra (a metal hoop hung on air).

BENEFITS OF AERIAL ARTS

1. Toned arms and abs

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To be able to execute tricks on air, you have to learn how to pull yourself up. You’re not expected to be able to do it on your first session but you will definitely get there someday thanks to the conditioning exercises included in every class. You’ll be surprised to see students with zero fitness background who eventually progress after a while. Consistency is the key.

Whenever you climb the fabric or hoop, you have to pull yourself up and lift your own weight. For invertions, you have to engage your core. As result, your arms will get toned, and your abs more defined thereby leading to weight loss.

2. Improved flexibility

Poor flexibility should never be a hindrance for anybody who wants to try aerial classes. In aerial arts, you get to develop your range of movements. With freedom of movement, you can have a deeper and more fulfilling stretch which you cannot get from the gym or other traditional fitness activities.

3. Feel better about yourself

Studies show that inversions aid in circulation, decompresses the spine and lightens up your mood. Nothing compares to the high of being able to execute a trick that you have been working on for the past few sessions. Not only does it bring happiness, it also increases your self-confidence.

4. It is FUN!

Consider yourself flying when you’re up from the ground and view everything from a different perspective. From nervous and timid walk-ins at the start of each session, new students are guaranteed to end the class with open minds, fears conquered and excited to attend the next session.

FILIPINO PRIDE

Over the years, many Filipinos have succeeded in international competitions in pole dancing. But in aerial silk, only Kat “Acrokat” Lapuz has emerged victorious. She started attending aerial silk classes in 2012 as an after work activity. Her determination, drive and courage to perform aerial drops as high as thirty (30) feet had led her to win in aerial competitions abroad. Lapuz was awared 1st place in the PPS Aerial Performance Tournament 2014 in Hong Kong. The following year, she became champion in the same competition. In 2016, she was also among the finalists in the U.S. Aerial Championships in New York City.

If you’re looking to give aerial arts a try, Nesh Zamora, together with Kat Lapuz, have opened ELITE AERIAL ARTS. It is Quezon City’s premier pole, dance and aerial arts studio that provides formal instruction to students regardless of age and fitness experience. In fact, it’s the first and only studio in the country to offer classes in static trapeze and aerial straps.

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